Super League play-offs

Salford dream extends beyond play-offs

As John Wilkinson approaches his 25th anniversary as chairman of Salford City Reds he is unsure which will prove the more significant for the future of the club: their first appearance in the Super League play-offs at Bradford tonight, or next week's Labour party conference across the river Irwell in Manchester.

If the word in Weaste is to be believed, Salford's MP Hazel Blears may be ready to confirm the go-ahead for the Reds' new £35m stadium in her first conference as party chairman. Wilkinson, who received an OBE five years ago for services to the city of Salford and its community, believes that the stadium will convey benefits way beyond rugby league.

"It's been more than five years now since the idea of the new stadium first came up, shortly after I was offered the chance to take the club to Maine Road when Manchester City were going to the Commonwealth Games stadium. That was a very flattering offer, but I was never going to be happy taking the club out of Salford. I owe everything to the city. I was born here, I started my welding business here 35 years ago now, and I'm the custodian of the rugby club.

"Obviously it's a much smaller city than Manchester, and as a former industrial city it has been a city in decay. But that's changing now. There are more people working on the Quays now than there used to be when they were working docks.

"But I still think when people think of Salford three things come to mind - the rugby team, Salford Van Hire and the university. So we've got a responsibility when it comes to changing people's perceptions, and having a new stadium in Barton on the western gateway will do so much."

It is more than 30 years since Salford were briefly the glamour club of the British game, with David Watkins leading the team to two championships in three seasons, and the pioneering decision to play on Friday nights made the Willows and its adjoining variety centre a fashionable place. But for the last two decades the team have largely struggled, and the Willows has become an anachronism.

When they were relegated four years ago after a miserable season, even Wilkinson must have been tempted to walk away. But he stuck by the club and Karl Harrison, who had been appointed as coach too late to stop the Reds going down. Since then they have made steady progress to finish fifth this season and earn tonight's trip to Bradford.